A conventional electronic device that can be folded, particularly a folding-type cellular phone 101, includes, as shown in FIG. 1, a first housing 110 that is assembled from a first lid 111 and a first shell 112, a second housing 120 that is assembled from a second lid 121 and a second shell 122, and a joint portion 130 connecting the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 to be folded. In the first housing 110, a display portion 113, a receiver, a circuit board (not shown) and the like are mounted. The first lid 111 has a window portion (not shown) for the display portion 113. In the second housing 120, an input button 123, a microphone, a circuit board (not shown) and the like are mounted. The second lid 121 has holes (not shown) for the input button 123. The joint portion 130 has a structure exposed to the outside together with the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 in the folded state (See FIG. 2). The circuit board in the first housing 110 and the circuit board in the second housing 120 are electrically connected by wires (not shown) through the connection portion 130.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-233435
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-273992
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-332849
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-38716
The conventional folding-type cellular phone has a hinge member (not shown) that is fixed to each of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 and is incorporated in the joint portion 130, but since the hinge member includes rubbed portions, it is difficult to make the rubbed portions airtight. Thus, there is a fear that the joint portion 130 cannot be protected from dusts and moisture in the air.
With the recent trend toward small-sized and light-weighted devices, a small-sized phone such as a pendant type suspended from the neck has emerged, but designability as well as dust resistance is required for this type of small-sized phone and it is necessary to constitute a joint portion so as not to ruin the appearance. Even in a case where a small-sized phone has a folding structure, if electric connection between the first housing side (or a cover) and the second housing side is not needed, the designability can be ensured by making the joint portion small. However, as for the folding-type cellular phone, when the electric connection between the circuit board on the first housing side and the circuit board on the second housing side is needed, if the joint portion is made smaller, it is necessary to provide an electric connection (wiring) portion at a portion separate from the joint portion, which impairs the appearance.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that can improve airtightness when the device is folded.